Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-05
PEUPEUMOXMOX.
A Genuine Wild Indian who Organized a
Commercial Company.

OOiut Interesting ldCtS COuutCllDS DdCId-
mento with the early occupation of this
coast with Indians and white men jointly
is furnished by the first volume of Ban
croft's History of Oregon, which has al
ready been reviewed in these columns.
The volume referred to shows that the first
Indian agent appeared in Oregon in 1912.
He endeavored at once to place the wild ma
tives under the restraints of law. He drew
up long code, specifying crimes and their
punishment, and induced the Nez Perces
to accept them. The leading chiefs admin
istered the laws and logged their offending
followers; but a neighboring tribe, the
Cayuses, declared that the laws intro
duced had done more harm than good,
giving the chiefs an excuse for petty
tyranny. And when the agent called them
together, and proposed that they, too, ac-
cept the laws, the chief Peupeumoxmox
arose and inquired Where are these laws
from? Are they from God, or from the
earth? hope that YOU will say that they
are from God but / think they are from
the earth, because. from what / know of
white men, they do not honor these laws -
When told that the laws were recognized
by God, and imposed on men in all civil
lized countries, the chief expressed him
self as pleased to hear that it was so, be-
cause many of his men had been angry
with him when they were whipped for
crimes, and had declared that he would be
sent to hell for it. He was an intelligent
savage, and being rich as we'll, possessed
great influence among his people.
Peupeumoxnox, indeed, has been called
a magnificent man by writer who met
~ tI,a Wal1a yVa1la iJarnacc Gaa
ing the example of the whites, who began
10 invade his territory, he decided 10 bring
in cattle for the use of his own people.
Accordingly, ne organized an expedition
and started for California, where he in
tended to exchange The furs and horses he
took along for the scrawny, leng-horned
cattle of that Mexican province. The
journey was fraught with danger, as they
were obliged to pass through a country
inhabited by tribes with whom they were
nor friendly; but being well mounted and
equipped, they reached California in
safety. The chief led his party to Suffers
Fort in this city, where he was well
received by the white population. An agree
ment to trade was entered into, and all
went well till some of his party brought
in a prize of twenty-five stolen animals
which they had succeeded in recapturing
from a band of robbers. But when the
animals were brought into the settlements
they were reclaimed by their former own
ers The Oregon chiefs demonstrated, say
ing that in their country, the horses having
been recovered from an enemy at the risk
of life, would belong to those who recap
tured them. But the owners insisted that
according to the California law a transfer
mark was necessary before the animals
oaeca1 - hn thofr PM
moxmox was sulky and would not reply to
their arguments, so negotiations were
broken off, and the Indians returned to
Oregon without accomplishing their pur-
pose. This attempt is, perhaps, the high
est imitation of civilization attained by the
Oregon Indians. 1t was a voluntary bust
ness organization among sayages.
The chief was accompanied to California
by his son, who had been converted by the
and received the name OF Eli
jah Hedding. A graphic report of Eliiahs
death there was sent by the Oregon Indian
Agent to the Secretary of War. As the
story goes. though of doubtful yeracity,
the Indians had brought in their recovered
stolen animals, when an American saw a
mule among them that he had owned He
roughly demanded his property. and de-
clared that he would take it himself if ii
were not promptly surrendered. There
upon Elijah deliberately loaded his rife,
and turning to the American said signlfi-
eantly g Go, now, and take your mule
The white man. considerably alarmed, ask
ed Elijah if he intended TO kill him. .sOh
no, carelessiy replied the young chief. =
am only going to shoot that eagle on yon-
der tree But his looks and manner be-
lied his tongue, and the American thought
IL hest to leave the mule
On the following Sunday some of the
natives attended religious services at Sut-
ter's Fort. After the close Elijah was in
vited into another apartment. Here he
was menaced, and subjected TO much
wordy abuse. Finally the man who had
disputed about the mule said to Elijah
- Yesterday you were going to kill me
now you must die, drawing pistol as he
spoke " Let me pray little first said
Elijah, as he dropped to his knees, and he
was shot dead in that attitude.
At one time Peupeumoxmox became en-
ragged with Mckinley, a fur trader Of the
Hudson's Bay Company. because a clerk
at the Fort had seized his son for slight
theft. The savage, in a passion, was about
to do violence to the chief trader, when
Mckinley quickly grasped keg of powder
and placed it in the middle OF the apart
touch it off at the first hostile movement.
Not wishing to be blown up, Peupeumox-
mox became cooler and was induced to
listen TO reason.
Efforts to convert his nation were then
being made by two rival religious sects. and
a representative of one visited the chief
After the manner of an Indian gossip, the
savage referred to the subject of
the other missionaries, taking occasion to
remark that he had been solicited to give
them place for station, but that he had
refused. With true Indian cunning, he
added that the other missionaries had pro-
nounced the diseases from which the Indi-
ans were then suffering as an affiiction
from God on account of their heresy, know
ing well the fever into which such state
ment would throw his hearer.
Peupeumoxmox was reputed to have
been so far benefited by his observations
in California, as to give good counsel to his
people on his return. When messenger
came to him and reported the Whitman
massacre. he asked the courier what part
he had taken in the murder. On his an
swering that he had killed several persons.
the chief said s'Take that fellow, and
hang him to the nearest tree He is said,
also, to have warned the Cayuses, when
they proposed to go to war with the Amer
leans, not to make the mistake of consider
ing the settlers towards because they would
not fight when they came in as immigrants
incumbered with their families and prop
erty. although they had been robbed and
insulted. He had been in California, and
seen that when it came to fighting, every
American was man that if war was be-
gun, all the Indians would be killed off
------------s-------
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